NBA Free Agency 2013: Houston Rockets Say They Won't Trade Jeremy Lin If Dwight Howard Signs With Team

With the Houston Rockets the front-runner to land the services of free agent All-Star center Dwight Howard, the team general manager insists the team is not looking to move Omar Asik or Jeremy Lin, shooting down the rumor that Howard wants them traded.

"[Howard] absolutely did not insist on anything like that," said Rockets GM Daryl Morey. "He's focused on winning. He wants to be involved in process like all stars have, including James [Harden]."

Howard is expected to make his decision by Friday, having spent the week hearing offers from the Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, and Atlanta Hawks.

A Lakers contingent of Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, general manager Mitch Kupchak, executive vice president of player personnel Jim Buss, and representatives from both AEG and Time Warner Cable met with Howard on Tuesday, in hopes of convincing the all-star center to stay in Los Angeles.

"At the meeting, we told him how important he is to the Lakers team, franchise, fans and community, and why we feel this is the best place for him to continue his career," Kupchak said in a statement. "We are hopeful that Dwight decides to remain a Laker."

The Lakers can offer an extra year and $30 million more than any other franchise, but Howard seems inclined to leave, with eyes towards the Lone Star State. Dallas and Houston have made their presentations to Howard, with Maverick owner Mark Cuban pitching the idea of teaming up the center with experienced championship talent and coaching in Dirk Nowitzki and Rick Carlisle respectively. Nowitzki has also offered to take a pay-cut so that the team could have enough cap room to sign another star during the 2014 free agency period.

Dallas does have a major hurdle to clear, though, needing to trade Shawn Marion's expiring $9 million contract to create cap room to be able to sign Howard.

Houston, who flew in Hall of Famers Hakeen Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler to meet with Howard as well as arranged a Skype meeting with Yao Ming, is offering Howard the opportunity to play alongside Harden, while promising to keep adding championship-caliber talent to the roster.

"I feel like we did everything and answered every question and we're the best option for him to win," Morey said on Tuesday. "I like how he is going about the process. He is taking his time and weighing everything. We think when he does that, we'll come out ahead."

The Rockets traded Thomas Robinson to the Portland Trailblazers in return for the rights to Kostas Papanikolau and Marko Todorovic - who play in Europe and whose contracts do not count against the cap (unless they play in the National Basketball Association) and released Carlos Delfino and Aaron Brooks to make cap room for Howard's contract.

While rumors persist that the Rockets are shopping around Lin and Asik in order to create more cap room to surround Howard with all-star talent and play a style of basketball more suitable for his skill-sets, Morey, insists that Lin and Asik are going nowhere.

"Both with Omer and Jeremy, we feel like they're good fits for Dwight," said Morey."Omer with Dwight would give us the best (centers) in the league in combination. Jeremy is an attacking guard, great in pick-and-roll, a great fit for Dwight. Dwight works great with shooting and attacking guards. Harden is great at both. That's why he's an All-Star."